


An Affair To Remember

by chronicopheliac



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Cracky but Happy ending?, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff and Crack, Gift Fic, Jealous Hannibal, M/M, Maybe a little angst, Misunderstandings, Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, Post-Fall (Hannibal)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-06
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-08-28 22:38:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8465641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chronicopheliac/pseuds/chronicopheliac
Summary: Will has been sneaking out at odd hours of the night for some time. Hannibal finally decides to find out why.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Birthday gift fic for [my-blog-is-garbage](http://my-blog-is-garbage.tumblr.com)! Very belated, but at least it's done now?!?! :D???

The first time it happened, Hannibal thought nothing of it. Despite Will’s attempt to be careful, Hannibal was woken by the shift of the mattress as Will got out of bed. He had always been a light sleeper. 

It was odd for Will to leave the house at two in the morning. But he thought perhaps Will had gone out for a jog, to work off the anxiety from a nightmare. When Will showered before returning to bed, Hannibal believed his assumption was correct.

Even the second time didn’t raise many suspicions. Not really. Hannibal quietly crept downstairs to watch Will leave. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, though it was strange that Will didn’t change into appropriate jogging gear. He just pulled on some jeans and shoved his feet into a well-worn pair of loafers.

Perhaps just a walk, then, to clear his head. The weather had been muggier of late, it was reasonable to assume he’d still need a shower afterward.

When it became a habit, Hannibal felt more cause for concern.

He recalled some of their more recent disagreements. Once, Will discovered Hannibal had fed the dogs some of their more questionable leftovers. And there was the small matter of throwing out all of Will’s worn flannel shirts. Apparently, his favourites. Nothing Hannibal would have considered serious.

There was no discernible pattern to Will’s outings. Sometimes when he returned, Will kept his distance and slept in the guest room. When questioned the following morning, Will cited back pain and troubled dreams. He didn’t want to disturb Hannibal, he said. He seemed sincere enough. And yet...

Something wrenched in Hannibal’s chest.

He wouldn’t ask again. He shouldn’t have to. He and Will had come so far. They were trusting each other and communicating. He just needed to have faith. Will would have told him if there was a problem. Wouldn’t he?

But Hannibal’s faith could only go so far. Trust didn’t come easily for him. After so many months of waiting and trusting, Hannibal couldn’t wait any longer. His mind was creating too many possible scenarios. His heart was not strong enough to bear many of them. He needed answers.

And so one evening, Hannibal decided to follow. Will was on foot, making it easy to follow him silently in the dark. It was about thirty minutes into the town proper at a steady pace. Hannibal had time to consider his options.

He couldn’t allow himself to lose control, not like he had before. This would require a different approach. He would watch, and wait. He needed to see who Will was meeting - he was sure there had to be someone. What else would draw Will out so often?

No need to think about the reasons why there would be someone. Why he somehow wasn’t enough.

Will turned a corner onto a busier street. Hannibal followed close behind, careful not to lose him in the crowd. After a few more steps, Will entered a building.

The moment he was inside, Hannibal’s nose was assaulted by the stench of body odour and sticky children, mingled with grease and processed beef. A glance around confirmed the establishment was, in fact, a McDonald’s. Definitely not what he expected. Confused, he looked around for Will.

He found Will at the counter actually ordering something. Moments later, he picked up his order: a Big Mac combo with a strawberry milkshake.

Hannibal was stunned. Surely, Will had to be here to meet someone. There was no logical reason he would be there otherwise. Was there?

He watched Will find a booth and sit down. Will’s eyes lit up as he opened his burger. He tore into the burger with enthusiasm and dipped some fries into his milkshake.

For thirty minutes, Will sat in the booth alone, eating his greasy fast food feast. And no one came. 

Before he realized it, Hannibal’s legs were taking him across the restaurant to sit opposite Will.

Will froze.

Hannibal stared.

The silence stretched between them, wrought with tension. Will was the first to speak, holding out a limp french fry. “Fries?”

“No, thank you.” Hannibal’s jaw clenched.

“I can explain.”

“Please, do.”

“It’s really very simple.” Will dipped the droopy fry into his milkshake, getting it all over his fingers. He continued as he chewed, “Sometimes, a guy just wants a greasy burger, ya know?”

“I can’t say that I do.”

“See, this is why I had to sneak out. You’re taking this personally.”

Hannibal sniffed. “Hardly. I’m merely confused as to why you would crave such… processed junk, when you have much better at home.”

“That’s taking it personally.”

Hannibal didn’t answer. The feeling that had wormed its way into his gut was still there, but it twisted into something new. There was relief, yes, but there was also something very much like hurt.

“Hannibal?”

“I… must admit, I’m somewhat embarrassed.”

“Embarrassed, why would you… Wait, did you think I was-- No, you couldn’t have thought… Really?”

“You can’t deny your behaviour was suspicious, Will. Sneaking out in the middle of the night, showering before you came to bed. If you came to bed at all.”

“Because of your goddamn nose. I’m sure I reeked of fast food. I was afraid I’d offend your delicate sensibilities.” Will couldn’t contain his laughter.

“You could also have been washing away the evidence of some tryst or another.”

“How awful it must have been for you, worrying about something so banal as whether or not I was faithful. I guess I should be flattered.”

“Flattered?” Hannibal reached for a fry, holding it delicately between thumb and forefinger. 

“Yeah, flattered. You were worried about losing me.”

Hannibal was unable to hold Will’s gaze. He sniffed at the fry and tried a bite. “You’re all I have in the world, Will. Can you blame me?”

Will smiled and leaned forward to grab Hannibal’s hands. “You don’t have to worry, Hannibal. I made my choice.”

“And that choice was to skip dinner and sneak away for this junk.”

“Yep.”

Hannibal freed one hand to grab another fry. They really weren’t so bad, save for the greasy residue left in his mouth. He took a sip of the milkshake to wash it out.

“You should try dipping the fries, sweet and salty.” Will grinned.

“Perhaps next time you have a craving, you might let me know? I wouldn’t object to a break from cooking now and then.”

“Really?”

“Why not? I’d rather spend more time with you, Will.” Hannibal took another fry and dipped it into the milkshake.

“You mean that?”

“Absolutely. Though I must insist on finding a Wendy’s nearby. Their fries are much better.”

Grinning wider, Will leaned over the table for a kiss. “Alright, you fussy bastard. It’s a date.”


End file.
